Crucible-furnace.



w. SGRIMGEOUR.

GBUUIBLE FURNAUE.

APPLIUTION FILED JAN. 7, 1908. 932,501 Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

2 sanne-SHEET 1.

A Troie/VE Y.

- W. SGRIMGEOUR.

GRUGIBLE FURNAOE. APPLICATION LTILBD JAN. 7, 190s.

932,501. Patented Au ,1909.

A TTORNE K5 WILLIAM SCRIMGEOUR, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

GRUCIB LE-FURNACE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 7, 1908. Serial No. 409,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM SCRIMGEOUR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crucible-Furnaces,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved Crucible furnaceparticularly adapted for use with hydrocarbon or like fuels. Theconstruction comprises a furnace casing mounted for oscillation, one ormore crucibles supported in the furnace chamber within the casing, and aburner in operative relation with the casing and movable therewith. Inthe preferred construction a combustion chamber is provided incommunication with the lower portion of the furnace chamber, and thewaste products of combustion are discharged from the upper portion ofthe furnace chamber through a vent flue or fines so disposed that theproducts of combustion serve to heat the combustion chamber or tomaintain its temperature.

The casing is mounted on trunnions and may be tilted or oscillated asrequired; preferably the trunnions are hollow and serve as conduits forthe fuel and for the steam or air required for its combustion, theconstruction being such that the burner may be mounted upon the casingand operated if desired i any position of the furnace. 'Y

For a full understanding of my invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferredform of crucible furnace having a single crucible; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on asomewhat larger scale on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the furnace casing which maycomprise an inner refractory lining 2, an outer metalsheath 3 and anintermediate filling 4 of asbestos` or other refractory material of lowheat-conductivity. As shown the furnace is ovoid in contour, and isprovided with a cylindrical furnace chamber 5, the thickened or rearsection of the lining 2 affording a passage for the vent flue 6 for thewaste products of combustion, and also permitting the provision of arelatively large combustion chamber 7.

8 represents angle bars for reinforcing the construction.

The crucible 9yis centrally supported with- Vin the chamber 5 upon arefractory block or brick 10, and is held in position by radial supports11, shown as three iu number, these supports serving not only as staysfor the Crucible in all positions of the furnace but also to interruptthe flow of the heated products of combustion and to prevent rotationthereof.

The combustion chamber 7 is disposed below and to the rear of theCrucible, a refractory block or brick 12 supported by the block 10 andthe lining of the furnace chamber forming its roof. The combustionchamber flares inwardly toward the furnace chamber 5 as indicated indotted lines in Fig. il, the burner 13 (Fig. 1) being mounted inoperative relation with its contracted end.

14 represents an ignition port disposed beneath the combustion chamber7, this port being normally closed by a cover-plate 15.

- 16 represents a port opening into the lower portion of the furnacechamber, this port being closed during the normal operation of thefurnace but capable of serving as an outlet for the products ofcombustion during the preliminary heating; a port serving a simi-Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

lar purpose and communicating with the upper portion of the furnacechamber is indicated at 17, the closure therefor being represented at18.

19 is the cover of the crucible, preferably recessed for pouring asindicated at 20, the recess 20 registering 4with the run-way or spout21.

22 is a hand-lever for manipulating the cover 19.

The furnace-is mounted on hollow trunnions 23, 24 supported in standards25, and may be tilted by means of a worm-gear 26 actuated by ahand-wheel 27.

The hydrocarbon burner 13, which may be of any` desired type,communicates by means of a fixed air or steam pipe 28 with the hollowtrunnion 24, whence connection is made through pipe 29 with a source ofair or steam under suitable pressure, the supply being controlled by acock 30, the'handle 31 of which is disposed at a point accessible to theoperator.

32 represents the fuel supply pipe for the burner, communicating withthe hollow trunnion 23, a valved pipe 33 being provided for the supplyof fuel, usually a liquid hydrocarbon.

The pipes 29 and 33 are provided adjacent clency of operation.

their respective trunnions with any approved type of couplingspermitting rotation.

The furnace above described presents many advantages in practice, amongwhich may be mentioned the fact that the burner may be secured to thecasing or adjusted therein, and the tilting of the furnace does notnecessitate the disturbance of this adjustment; moreover the applicationof heat may be continued during the pouring operation er during anyinterruption of this operation. After pouring, the furnace may beinverted and the heating continued until the slag or cinder iscompletely discharged from the crucible. The provision of the combustionchamber '7 insures substantially complete utilization of the fuel and ahigh eflil The refractory block 10, centrally disposed in the furnacechamber and directly in the path of the flame serves to properlydistribute the heat. The rotation or gyration of the highly heatedgases, by which their heating eflect is measurably reduced, iseffectually prevented by the radialbricks 11, these serving also tosupport the crucible and prevent its displacement during pouring. Asstated aboveV the position of the vent fiue 6 adjacent the combustionchamber is essential to the highest econ- @my and efficiency of work.

A further advantage of construction ref sides in the protection affordedby the conformation of the roof of the furnace. It

' will be observed that the furnace roof closely surrounds the uppermargin of the crucible and engages therewith, and that. no vent oraperture is afforded around the crucible for the escape of heatedproducts. This construction is advantageous in that it avoids allcorrosion or fusion of the upper margin of the crucible therebygreatlyprolonging its life, and also protects the operator during thepouring from any heat other than that due to the molten contents of thecrucible; the roof furthermore serves to support the crucible in allpositions of the furnace.

It will be understood that While I have shown provision for a singleburner, any required number of burners may be provided in a singlefurnace in accordance with the requirements of practice; in case severalburners are employed, a combustion chamber and a vent flue adjacent thesame will preferably be disposed in connection with each burner.

I claim: 1. A crucible furnace comprlsing a furnace casing mounted foroscillation, a cruciblc supported within said casing, a combustionchamber leading to the interior of said casing, a hydrocarbon burner inoperative relation with said combustion chamber and movable with saidcasing, and a vent adjacent said combustion chamber.

2. A crucible furnace comprising a furnace casing mounted foroscillation, a crucible supported above the bottom of said casing,refractory bricks radially disposed within the casing for supportingsaid crucible and preventing rotation of the heated products ofcombustion, a hydrocarbon burner in operative relation with saidcombustion chamber and movable with said casing, and avent adjacent saidcombustion chamber.

3. A crucible furnace comprising a furnace casing mounted foroscillation, a crucible supported above the bottom of said casing, acombustion chamber communicating with the lower portion of said casing,a vent ad j acent said combustion chamber, and a hydrocarbon burner inoperative relation with said combustion chamber and movable with saidcasing.

4. A crucible furnace comprising a furnace casing mounted foroscillation, a crucible supported above the bottom of said casing, acombustion chamber communicating with the lower portion of said casing,a vent fiue communicating with the upper portion of said furnace chamberand venting at a point adjacent said combustion chamber, and ahydrocarbon burner in operative relation with said combustion chamberand movable with said casing.

5. A crucible furnace comprising a furnace casing mounted. foroscillation, a crucible supported within said casing, a substantiallyhorizontal combustion chamber leading to the central portion of saideasing near the bottom thereof, a hydrocarbon burner in operativerelation to said combustion chamber and movable with said casing, and

a vent adjacent said combustion chamber. In testimony whereof, I affixmy signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM SCRIMGEOUR.

Witnesses:

C. P. TowNsEND, N. P. LEONARD.

